The National Creditors Bar Association Law Practice Management Blog

When it comes to engagement agreements, law firms often practice a ‘less is more’ philosophy.  Doing what is ethically required in terms of identifying rates and  scope of representation covers what you  need  to tell  your  clients; but, it may not be all that you  want  to tell  your  clients.   M odern law firms, as well as modern legal consumers, can also focus on important additional clauses.  For instance, modern legal consumers may want to know about the technology a law firm uses, as well as the data security principles to which it adheres.  Modern legal consumers expect that type of transparency from data and software companies; and, as law firms become more technically viable moving forward, there are  going to be more similarities than differences between those two (seemingly wholly different) business models.   If this sounds like a thrilling (well, maybe not) new endeavor, you can st...

Password management is no sweat these days -- with tools like  LastPass , a master password  unlocks all doors .  Not only will such a service obviate the need for memorizing any passwords, it will also automatically  create s  secure passwords for you.  No fuss, no muss.   But, what if you don’t have the volume of accounts that would necessitate the use of a service like LastPass?  Or, what if you’re old school, and like creating your own passwords -- you know, ones that you can remember without an assistive device.  I get it.   There’s still a world for you.   Try passphrases .  Whereas most passwords include numbers, special characters, uppercase and lowercase letters, you don’t necessarily  need  all that jazz.  Passphrases are just  combinations of words and phrases that are  potentially  meaningless to the rest of the planet, but have some significance to you.  T...

In a recent episode of pop culture phenomenon ‘ Game of Thrones ’,  a stray Starbucks cup showed up on a table in a medieval castle .   This, among other things, has negatively affected Game of Thrones’  critical reception for its  last season .   But, that’s nothing compared to the personal hit that your reputation could take if you rely on Starbucks wifi to access confidential  client  materials online.   At this point ,  every state has a data security law of some type on the books, and law firm ethics continue to  move toward a national consensus  of  data competency, including with respect to data security management.   Lawyers  who  have a minimum level of competency respecting technology and its uses in the practice of law  are not using free, open wifi networks to access client data.   And, that’s  because it’s staggeringly easy for even mildly motivated hackers t...

If you’re a lawyer, law firm software is everywhere.  Make one online search for the term, and  you’re  caught up in the vortex of SEO  -- you’ll be served law firm software advertisements wherever you go online, from now until the end of time .   I get how that can be annoying -- but, the point remains that law firms using the right software are more efficient, and make more money.  So, it’s all kind of like that little voice in your head that tells you not to have the cheesecake -- obnoxious, yet bitingly correct.   So, even as you know you should probably be upgrading your software stack, it’s tough to swim through all of the sales pitches, and to wade through the multitudes of options available to you.   Fortunately, I’m here, to deliver you the answer you crave, to the question that keeps coming  up : What software do I need to run my law firm?   A modern law firm should base its software  pr ogram o...